Victoria Festival of Authors 2026

With a week of events and authors including American Book Award Winner and Booker Prize shortlisted author Ruth Ozeky, Amazon First Novel Winner Anakana Schofield, BC Book Prize winner Jess Housty, influential conservationist Suzanne Simard, and CBC’s Nahlah Ayed, the Victoria Festival of Authors has something for everyone, online, in the woods, and in-person.

The Victoria Festival of Authors isn’t holding anything back in its 11th year. This year’s festival features, from October 12-18, will feature seven days of inspiring, moving, and thoughtful literary and cultural discussions across a wide spectrum of genres from poetry to environmental non-fiction to romance. With 50 authors taking place in 21 events, there is something for every reader, writer, and book lover.

Events are firmly rooted in the community. The festival’s main programming is at Langham Court Theatre, but there are events at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Open Space Arts Society, and Camosun’s Maker Space. There are even outdoor events at W̱MÍYEŦEN Nature Sanctuary.

The festival starts online on October 12 and 13, then shifts to in-person programming from the 14-18. Some in-person events are livestreamed. Most events are sliding-scale, with free tickets for virtual programming, and $5 tickets for in-person events. Below are a selection of highlights.

On Oct. 15, audiences can grab a seat (indoors at Langham Court Theatre at 7:30 p.m.) for How Stories Breath, curated by guest Indigenous Curator Samantha Beynon. Authors Jordan Abel, Amanda Peter, Monique Gray Smith and Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas will share a warm and wide-ranging conversation about story, craft, and what it means to write and bring their stories to life.

On Oct. 17, head outdoors for Listen to the Land Forest Walk at the W̱MÍYEŦEN Nature Sanctuary with Neil Griffin, Katłı̨̀ą and Briony Penn.

In the evening, head back to Langham Court Theatre at 7:30 p.m. to sit down with Doretta Lau, Anakana Schofield and Daniel Zomparelli for Amusement Dark. This year’s fiction panel brings together three novelists with books that dare to laugh and uplift in the face of despair and isolation.

For those who would rather be at home, there’s Romancing the Trop, a Zoom livestream with romance authors Lexi LaFleur Brown, Danielle McKechnie and Frankie Scott.

Sunday Oct. 18, the festival wraps up with three events featuring heavy hitters. Best-selling UK Illustrator Jackie Morris teams up with Salt Spring-based naturalist and artist Don Gunn for Can Art Save the Birds? at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. Afterwards, at Langham Court Theatre, Nahlah Ayed and this year’s Massey Lecturer Leilani Farhahdiscuss homeless, as Leilani recounts intimate encounters with people unhoused and inadequately housed on six continents. Finally, Ruth Ozeki, author of All Over Creation, A Tale for the Time Being Room, and her new book The Typing Lady, appears at Langham Court Theatre to talk about her award-winning, widely-acclaimed body of work. The final event of the festival wraps up with a short reception afterwards.

Tickets for all these events and more are on sale now.